NFL upholds touchdown ruling at end of game

Sputtering frustration over replacement officials in the National Football League burst into full-open revolt after a controversial end-zone call that decided the fate -- wrongly, many say -- of Monday night's game between the Green Bay Packers and the Seattle Seahawks.

"Fine me and use the money to pay the regular refs," Packers guard T.J. Lang tweeted minutes after the game ended, one in a series of profanity-laced tweets accusing the referees of taking the game from his team.

He wasn't alone -- discussion of the call virtually took over Twitter in the United States and sparked rising calls for the NFL to settle its labor dispute with officials quickly.

In a league where criticizing officials is a big no-no, Lang could well get his wish about the fine, but what happens with the officials remains to be seen.

The Seahawks won 14-12 after replacement officials, standing in for locked-out NFL regulars, gave possession of a disputed pass to Seattle receiver Golden Tate. In what's already become a well-traveled and widely mocked image, two officials in the end zone gave competing signals: one indicating a touchdown, the other an interception.

The decision withstood video review of footage that appeared to show that Tate had just one arm on the ball while Packers defensive back M.D. Jennings had both hands wrapped around it. The ball was pulled tight to Jennings' chest.

The video also showed that Tate had shoved a Packers defender in the back before going for the ball -- a move that would normally draw an offensive pass interference penalty.

Packers coach Mike McCarthy declined to specifically address the call in his post-game news conference but said later that he had "never seen anything like that in all my years in football."

Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers called the officiating "awful."

Controversy over the replacement officials has been simmering since the preseason. A series of missed or muffed calls has riled coaches, players and fans, many of whom have called for a quick resolution of the labor dispute.

Sticking points include salary issues and changes to the retirement program for officials.

On Thursday, the NFL Players Association sent a letter to league owners, saying the decision to hire replacement referees "has led to a deteriorating of order, safety and integrity."

"This affirmative decision has not only resulted in poor calls, missed calls and bad game management, but the combination of those deficiencies will only continue to jeopardize player health and safety and the integrity of the game that has taken decades to build," the union wrote.

The outcry for a resolution appeared to be growing after the Monday night game.

On Tuesday, the website FootballZebras.com, which tracks officiating in the NFL, said the Monday night call was "beyond the tipping point, this is the drowning point."

Discussion of the game also accounted for at least four of the top 10 topics on Twitter in the United States, where everyday fans and celebrities appeared united in their frustration.

"If you're holding your baby & I walk up and hug it, according to the NFL replacement refs, you have to give me your baby," comedian Chris Rock tweeted.

In another tweet, former NFL quarterback Drew Bledsoe said "the NFL is a Formula 1 race car. The replacement refs are the 3 year old behind the wheel."

Miami Heat star LeBron James said it's time for the replacements to go.

"Packers just got game took from them," he tweeted. "I LOVE NFL football to much to see this type of work."

On Tuesday, even the Lingerie Football League -- from which some of the replacement officials were reportedly drawn -- distanced itself from the growing controversy. The league announced it was parting ways with "a couple crews which are apparently now officiating in the NFL."

"We have a lot of respect for our officials but we felt the officiating was not in line with our expectations." league official Mitchell Mortaza said in the statement.

Copyright 2012 Internet Broadcasting. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.